There was much gnashing of teeth on today's Morning Joe over the New York Times poll showing Biden losing to Trump in five out of six battleground states.
A number of the panelists admitted to being "confounded" by the poll results. And more than one suggested that the Democrats need to "work harder." That's the kind of brilliant advice that talking heads and campaign consultants get the big benjamins for.
But of all the blather and whistling past the graveyard on display, the most bizarre and laughable comment came from Morning Joe regular Jon Meacham.
The historian and occasional Biden speechwriter began by declaring that in the 2024 presidential election:
"I don't think President Biden is being, is on trial here. I think we are. I really do. I think this is a test of citizenship."
Sorry, Jon, but that's not how it works in a democracy. Citizens don't need to prove themselves to the candidates. It's the other way around.
Meacham went on to describe the tough tasks that poor Biden is dealing with:
"Remember, President Biden woke up this morning worried about a wider war in the Middle East, in a, you know, in the most unstable region in the world, involving the global economy, possible nuclear war, the most ancient religious rivalries in the world. While there's an elemental struggle reminiscent of what led to the bloodiest century in history unfolding in Ukraine because of the appetites of a dictator."
Based on that, Meacham proceeded to make his sympathy pitch for Biden:
"And I think it requires, citizenship requires a certain amount of, of empathy for that."
So Meacham was literally suggesting that to prove their good citizenship, Americans should vote for Biden out of "empathy," read, sympathy—if not flat-out pity.
And sounding the standard liberal line of alarm, Meacham declared that if instead of a sympathy vote for Biden, Americans voted for the "authoritarian," [and we all know who that it is!] then, "if we lose this, it's really hard to see how we get it back--the United States of America." Vote Democrat or America is doomed, doomed, I tell ya!
This is their attempt to shame the voters -- vote Democrat, or you're terrible people! Vote Democrat, or you've ended America!
On Morning Joe, Jon Meacham suggesting Americans should vote for Biden out of "empathy" was sponsored in part by AT&T and Etsy.
Here's the transcript.
MSNBC
Morning Joe
11/6/23
6:36 am ETJON MEACHAM: I, I, I don't think President Biden is being, is on trial here. I think we are. I really do. I think this is a test of citizenship.
It's uh, I think John [Heilemann] put it really well. I think a lot of people are not, blessedly for them, are not as immersed in all of this as, as most of us.
But you know, when Republicans talk about, criticize President Biden, it's like having someone in a burning house talking about the fire safety violations of a house that's not on fire across the street, right?
MIKA BRZEZINSKI: Right.
MEACHAM: And so, I just think it requires two beats of thought. It requires saying, "Okay, I don't agree with, you know, 25% of what's going on, or whatever the percentage is, but, you know what, he's not going to break the law. He's not going to storm the Capitol."
And does that sound like we're lowering the bar? Maybe. But we're human beings. We have proven in the last six years that we are capable of making terrible public decisions. And one of the things the Founders gave us is the recognition that it is hard to get things done in this country, based on their view that most of what we would want to do, we shouldn't do.
MIKA: Yeah.
MEACHAM: And I think we just have to take -- we have to take a beat here.
Remember, President Biden woke up this morning worried about a wider war in the Middle East, in a, you know, in the most unstable region in the world, involving the global economy, possible nuclear war, the most ancient religious rivalries in the world. While there's an elemental struggle reminiscent of what led to the bloodiest century in history unfolding in Ukraine --
MIKA: Yeah.
MEACHAM: -- because of the appetites of a dictator. He's got a lot to think about. And I think it requires, citizenship requires a certain amount of, of empathy for that.
And maybe, maybe that doesn't get the job done. Maybe we're just in such a foul humor that, let's see what the authoritarians can do. But we saw what the authoritarian almost did.
MIKA: Yeah.
MEACHAM: And if we lose this, it's really hard to see how we get it back -- the United States of America.
